Grammy-winning Chicago rap icon Durk Banks has been found not guilty of murder for hire by a federal jury following a dramatic trial in downtown Los Angeles. Jurors deliberated for three days before clearing Durk of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire in connection with an attempted hit on rival artist Quando Rondo. The August 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center shopping complex left Quando’s 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, fatally wounded, whilst Quando escaped unharmed.
The courtroom attracted substantial cultural attention, with high-profile peers such as Ye and Machine Gun Kelly appearing in the gallery to show solidarity. Outside, crowds of fans, livestreamers and content creators gathered daily to follow proceedings. Prosecutors had alleged that Durk funded travel for associates to target Quando after an affiliate of Quando fatally shot Durk’s close friend and collaborator King Von in Atlanta four years earlier.
While Durk secured an acquittal, co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey faced mixed outcomes. Both were convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death, whilst being cleared of murder for hire. Addressing the verdict, Craig Harbaugh, representing Deandre, stated: “We thank the jury for seeing there was no murder for hire. We are confident the remaining counts will not survive our pending motion for acquittal.” Tillet Mills, acting for David, echoed this, noting the jury recognised this “was never a murder for hire” and that “the fight is not over.”
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said: “Today, the jury delivered justice to the family of Saviay’a Robinson, finding defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey guilty of stalking resulting in Mr. Robinson’s death. While we are disappointed with the jury’s decision regarding Durk Banks, a.k.a. ‘Lil Durk,’ we look forward to presenting our evidence at his second trial.”
Durk remains in federal custody awaiting a separate trial on a racketeering charge, leaving the music industry and fans watching his next legal chapter closely.
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